Piece of Me
"Piece of Me" is a song by American singer Britney Spears from her fifth studio album, Blackout (2007). It was released on November 27, 2007, by Jive Records as the second single from the album, but was actually the last song recorded. It was written and produced by Swedish producers Bloodshy & Avant and Klas Åhlund as a response to the media scrutiny and sensationalism of the singer's private life, which they had witnessed firsthand after working with her over the years. The song, acting as the singer's manifesto, has biographical lyrics retelling Spears's mishaps. It can be classified as an electropop, dance-pop and EDM-pop song that features an "electro instrumental track" and runs through a down-tempo dance beat. Spears's voice is heavily synthesized and her pitch constantly shifts; backing vocals are provided by Bloodshy & Avant and Robyn.
This article is about the Britney Spears song. For Spears's residency show, see Britney: Piece of Me. For other uses, see Piece of Me."Piece of Me"
November 27, 2007
May–June 2007
3:32
- Christian Karlsson
- Pontus Winnberg
- Klas Åhlund
"Piece of Me" garnered widespread acclaim from the music critics with many deeming it as one of the highlights of Blackout. Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 15 on their list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. It peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Spears's second single from the album to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. "Piece of Me" was a global success, topping the charts in the Republic of Ireland and peaking within the top ten in fourteen countries.
The music video to "Piece of Me", directed by Wayne Isham, portrays the state of Spears' life in 2007; it shows her and her friends disguising themselves in order to confuse the paparazzi, which ties directly to the lyrics. Director Isham's concept was to have Spears confidently parodying her situation. It received mixed reviews from critics, most arguing her body was digitally altered. The video, however, was nominated and won in three separate categories at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year.
"Piece of Me" was performed on tour at the Circus Starring Britney Spears (2009) and the Femme Fatale Tour (2011). The song shares its title with Spears's first Las Vegas residency show, Britney: Piece of Me (2013–2017), where it was also performed. The show went on to become a world tour, retaining the name, known as the Piece of Me Tour (2018).
Composition[edit]
"Piece of Me" is an electropop,[4][5] dance-pop[6] and EDM-pop[7] song backed by an "electro instrumental track" and performed in an insistent pop groove.[8][9][10] Sheet music for the song shows the key of C♯ minor with a time signature in common time.[10] The melody runs through a down-tempo dance beat.[8]
Spears's vocals span over two octaves from D♯3 to D♯5.[10] They are heavily synthesized and are constantly pitch-shifted. The track consists of over-the-top vocal distortions, causing a split sound effect, making it difficult to discern which voice is Spears's.[11][12] Background vocals were also provided by Swedish pop singer Robyn. Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg sing the line "Extra! Extra!" during the chorus and writer Klas Åhlund, along with Robyn, alternates the repeated "piece of me" line in robotized voices.[13] Dave De Sylvia of Sputnikmusic drew comparisons to the songs in Robyn's Robyn (2005), specifically to her single "Handle Me".[14]
The lyrics of "Piece of Me" are written as a reaction to the scrutiny of Spears's private life in the media. They deal with fame and living under the spotlight.[12] During the first verse, Spears sings the hookline "You want a piece of me?", that is repeated throughout the song. According to Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times, the line "could be an accusation or an invitation or a threat".[11] "Piece of Me" is constructed in the common verse-chorus pattern. "Piece of Me" is written like a biography retelling Spears's mishaps, sung in a nearly spoken manner.[8] Alex Fletcher of Digital Spy compared the lyrics to Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" (2006).[9] Bill Lamb of About.com said that "Piece of Me" makes Michael Jackson's "Scream" (1995) "sound like a whimper."[8]
Music video[edit]
Development[edit]
The music video for "Piece of Me" was filmed on November 27 and 28, 2007, at the nightclub and restaurant Social Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. It was directed by Wayne Isham, who had previously worked with Spears on the music video of "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman".[44] In some scenes of the music video, Spears wore a purple satin dress from American designer Marina Toybina.[45] Spears reportedly arrived twelve hours late to the set, after spending the day with her sons Sean Preston and Jayden James.[44] Isham talked about the situation, saying, "She was late. People made a big thing about it, [but] how could she not be late, when you have 50, 65, 75 people running down the street chasing her car? That was a long day for the crew. It was literally a 20-hour day for the crew. She was there for the last six hours of it. She got there late, showed up and just kicked ass".[46] He also explained the concept of the music video:
Live performances[edit]
"Piece of Me" was performed at 2009's the Circus Starring Britney Spears as the second song of the show. At the end of the performance of "Circus", Spears took off her red jacket that represented a ringmaster, to reveal a black corset encrusted with Swarovski crystals, fishnet stockings and high-heeled laced up boots, designed by Dean and Dan Caten.[55] While smoke surrounded her, she entered a cage in the middle of the stage while "Piece of Me" began. During the performance, Spears represented a slave, that attempted to escape from her dancers.[56] "Piece of Me" was also performed at 2011's Femme Fatale Tour. Following "3", Spears climbed into a small platform and started performing the song while floating over the stage. The male dancers below her were dressed as policemen, and took off their shirts to reveal S&M bondage harnesses.[57] Shirley Halperin of The Hollywood Reporter named it one of the best performances of the show along with "3" and "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know", stating that "ironically enough, [they] were the ones with fewest frills."[58] The song is currently performed live at Spears's Las Vegas residency show, Britney: Piece of Me.[59]
Credits and personnel are adapted from the Blackout album liner notes.[60]